Blog #572: Toy Review: Japanese Transformers: Micron Legend McDonald’s Hot Rod (AKA Armada Hot Shot)

Toy Review: Japanese Transformers: Micron Legend McDonald’s Hot Rod (AKA Armada Hot Shot)

Just recently I found out that back in 2002, the Transformers: Micron Legend McDonald’s Hot Rod from Japan was completely different from the Transformers: Armada McDonald’s Hot Shot we got in the USA. (FYI, Hot Shot was called Hot Rod in Japan.)

Japanese Version

USA Version

There is no way to know for sure which toy came first (though if I had to guess I’d say it was the USA version). For simplicity, let’s say the Japanese version is a remold of the USA version. Instead of his roof splitting and folding to the sides as his arm, the roof is removable and can be tabbed onto his back. This could have been a decent change, but failing to paint the roof is pretty lousy. They should have done translucent blue and painted on the yellow. They remolded the sides of the car so that his arms pull out to the side and flip up, though that leaves him with really short arms. Otherwise it’s the same toy. More of an oddity than anything else, this is only for hardcore crazy mold completists like me.

Thanks for reading!